HEALTH IN FOCUS
Tim embarked on biohacking or as he prefers to call it, health optimisation when he was sick and tired, literally, of recurring UTI’s. After many doctor visits and courses of antibiotics, he wanted to solve the root of the problem which his doctor was unable to. He did this by tracking symptoms and researching, he also saw a functional practitioner who revealed the pain was due to a gut imbalance and oxalates found in some foods. So, in other words biohacking is delving into the cause of a problem and addressing it naturally, instead of automatically just traditionally medicating it and masking the problem. A simple example is if you have a headache, have a few glasses of water before a pain killer, you could just be dehydrated. As Tim explained “it’s a systems thinking approach to optimising your health, so if you have pelvic pain issues, don’t go straight to doctor, figure out why you have pelvic pain, maybe try yoga”. The crux is to be diagnostic, so if you have bad sleep, wear a sleep tracker which would tell you how much deep sleep you are having. Tracking takes away guess work and easy knee jerk prescriptions, the data gives you or a host of practitioners something to work with.
TWO BOOKS TO READ IN THE WORLD OF BIOHACKING ‘Hacking Planet Earth’ Thomas M. Kostigen For decades scientists and environmentalists have spoken of the effects of global warming. We are now past the tipping point. As floods, storms, and extreme temperatures become our daily reality. Thomas went to the frontlines of geoengineering projects that scientists, entrepreneurs, engineers, and other visionaries around the world are developing to solve the problems associated with global warming. “My book is based in rigorous science and all the methodologies that are in it are backed by serious scientists who have certain solutions,” Thomas said.
‘Fast This Way: Burn Fat, Heal Inflammation and Eat Like the HighPerforming Human You Were Meant to be’ Dave Asprey For more than a decade, the Bulletproof founder Dave Asprey has shared his unique point of view and expertise to help fans become the best versions of themselves. From living longer to getting smarter, maximising performance to practising mindfulness, Dave’s followers look to him for his take on the most effective techniques to become healthier and more powerful than most doctors think is possible. In Fast This Way, Dave asks readers to forget everything they think they know about the ancient practice and takes them on a journey through cutting-edge science to examine the ways novice fasters and Intermittent Fasting loyalists can up-end their relationship with food and upgrade their fasting game beyond calorie restriction.
94
Fifth Chukker Magazine | Issue 16
